Spring Break
The rewards of hard work
Cities of Bryan, College Station recognize Top 10 small companies at ceremony
By: Travis Robinson
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: News
The guest list included the mayors of College Station and Bryan, the Bryan Rotary Club, members of the Chamber of Commerce and owners of the fastest growing and most profitable businesses in the Bryan-College Station area.
This was not a mere gathering of the social elite, but an acknowledgment of the hardest working business owners who form the basis of the economy in the Brazos area.
The event took place in recognition of the 15th anniversary of the Newman 10 Business Performance Awards, which acknowledges excellence in small business. Supported by the Bryan Rotary Club and the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Newman Printing Inc., the awards are given to the top 10 companies that made the largest impacts in 2007.
"These businesses form the economic backbone of our local community," Bryan Rotary Club President Ron Hammond said.
Nominations can be made by anyone, but award winners will be chosen by economic analysts from Texas A&M's Mays Business School. To be eligible, the companies must be independent and privately owned. The companies must have existed for at least five years and gross at least $50,000, but less than $25 million. Nominations for 2008 will be taken until March 17. Winners will be chosen June 4.
Louis Newman, president of Newman Printing Inc., and founder of the 15-year-old program, was surprised by its long-lasting success. "I never dreamed it'd last this long or be so well accepted. But wasn't that the objective?"
Newman attributed the recent economic growth to A&M and small business.
Uri Geva, class of 1998 and president of the web design firm Infinity Pro Sports, has been a Newman 10 Business Performance award recipient for the last four years, only one of four to do so. In 2007, Infinity Pro Sports placed first among the group of recipients. Geva said that the awards are a great source of potential business.
"People see that we've won Newman 10 awards and they know that we're credible," Geva said.
Like Infinity Sports Pro, other companies that won were honored as part of the Aggie 100, an annual list that recognizes the fastest growing Aggie-owned businesses.
Newman said that the winning companies weren't necessarily doing something new.
"They win not because they do something new, but because they do it better," Newman said. He credited character as the key component that all recipients shared.
As one speaker said, the Newman 10 reaching its crystal anniversary proves the free enterprise system is alive and well in the Brazos area.
This was not a mere gathering of the social elite, but an acknowledgment of the hardest working business owners who form the basis of the economy in the Brazos area.
The event took place in recognition of the 15th anniversary of the Newman 10 Business Performance Awards, which acknowledges excellence in small business. Supported by the Bryan Rotary Club and the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Newman Printing Inc., the awards are given to the top 10 companies that made the largest impacts in 2007.
"These businesses form the economic backbone of our local community," Bryan Rotary Club President Ron Hammond said.
Nominations can be made by anyone, but award winners will be chosen by economic analysts from Texas A&M's Mays Business School. To be eligible, the companies must be independent and privately owned. The companies must have existed for at least five years and gross at least $50,000, but less than $25 million. Nominations for 2008 will be taken until March 17. Winners will be chosen June 4.
Louis Newman, president of Newman Printing Inc., and founder of the 15-year-old program, was surprised by its long-lasting success. "I never dreamed it'd last this long or be so well accepted. But wasn't that the objective?"
Newman attributed the recent economic growth to A&M and small business.
Uri Geva, class of 1998 and president of the web design firm Infinity Pro Sports, has been a Newman 10 Business Performance award recipient for the last four years, only one of four to do so. In 2007, Infinity Pro Sports placed first among the group of recipients. Geva said that the awards are a great source of potential business.
"People see that we've won Newman 10 awards and they know that we're credible," Geva said.
Like Infinity Sports Pro, other companies that won were honored as part of the Aggie 100, an annual list that recognizes the fastest growing Aggie-owned businesses.
Newman said that the winning companies weren't necessarily doing something new.
"They win not because they do something new, but because they do it better," Newman said. He credited character as the key component that all recipients shared.
As one speaker said, the Newman 10 reaching its crystal anniversary proves the free enterprise system is alive and well in the Brazos area.
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